Monday, 29 December 2014

2014 has been a busy year. So busy in fact I seem to have neglected my love for reading (and also this blog, my bad). Whilst browsing online I came across Popsugars Reading Challenge 2015. I felt this was a great challenge for 2015. I know 2015 is probably going to be just as hectic but even if I can get through at least a couple of books I think I would have made an improvement and that's what new years resolutions are all about! So here we go, a reading challenge for 2015! I will try my best to keep you updated with book reviews and checklists of the challenge as much as I can. Join me if you wish! Here are the details below:

What are your challenges or new years resolutions for 2015? Let me know in the comments below!

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Everyone's (or most) favourite hot drink! Hurrah! I am an avid lover of herbal tea so I was delighted when I was sent a handful of different teas to try by the lovely people at Dragonfly Tea.

Dragonfly Tea are a family-owned, British tea company with a hundred year heritage of growing and making artisanal teas. Their longstanding relationships with growers and master tea-makers around the world has helped them source the best quality harvests from environmentally and socially responsible gardens. They personally try every new harvest to ensure that they get the taste just right.Their entire Dragonfly Specialty range is certified by the Organic Food Federation and they are members of the Fairtrade Foundation. They never use artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and all their teas are GM-free. Their teabags are chlorine-free, their boxes and envelopes are recyclable as paper, and their used bags are biodegradable and compostable.

Each of the teas contained 20 sachets and the rooibos contained 40 tea bags (see pic. below for what they looked like). The tea labels also have quotes on them!(note: I have a habit of leaving herbal teabags in so my teas are probably a lot stronger that what someone else would have).

Moroccan Mint (Organic Green Tea): For me this was the one that I was most excited to try as I love green tea and spearmint. It makes a difference from the standard green tea I usually have and I think I now prefer it with a hint of spearmint!

Green Gaucho (Organic Mate Tea): I love the taste of this mate tea as it's also refreshing with the hint of lemongrass. The green tea taste isn't overpowering, so I feel if you're new to the green tea hype it would be worth trying this one first to get a taste for it!

Skinny Dragon (Organic Pu'er Tea): I was intrigued to try this as i've never tried pu'er tea before. It has quite a smooth earthy taste. The tea is darker in colour than the others however tastes just as light.

Vanilla Rooibos: This tea has a distinctive sweet smell of honey and smells almost menthol like. As the drink cools you can taste the flavours really come through. It is a sweet tea but it doesn't leave a horrible tangy taste or after taste. Very easy to drink - I think it might become one of my new favourites!

Altogether I have really enjoyed these teas by Dragonfly as they are so easy to drink and taste delicious! Its great to have a choice of different teas that all taste equally as nice.

The full Dragonfly Tea range is available from www.dragonflytea.com. It is also available at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, John Lewis and independents.

Saturday, 1 November 2014

I can't believe how fast this year is going! I've had such a great 2014. I apologize for not updating as regularly as I could, but I have been mega busy. I finished University in May and then went on a long summer holiday working and traveling in North and South America (see my older blog posts for more info on those). I have currently started a new job (not exactly what I want to be doing for many years to come but it's bringing in the money for the time being :-)) and my graduation ceremony is this month.

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

During my summer adventures I didn't exactly keep to a healthy eating plan and saw the side effects of what I was eating very fast. I gained nearly 2 stone in weight, went up a dress size and my skin was terrible. Looking back on photographs it gave me the motivation to kick-start a healthier lifestyle and diet. This is where I came across Bootea. Bootea had been recommended to me by my friend so I went out and bought the 14 day teatox from Holland and Barrett for £19.99.

Bootea is a tea detox (teatox) containing natural ingredients to help aid with weight-loss and cleansing your body. You take one Daytime detox a day and a Bedtime cleanse every other night before you go to bed.

The Bootea package contains two types of teabags, the morning/daytime detox (14 bags) and the bedtime cleanse (7 bags). The Bedtime cleanse works as a laxative so take before you go to bed as the laxative effect works approx. 8 hours after you have drank it.

Review:

For me the start of the teatox was quite hard. I felt constantly hungry and also experienced a weird feeling in my stomach like cramps and not feeling 100% on the second day... possibly due to the bedtime cleanse? By the end of day 2 I wasn't sure that I wanted to carry on with this teatox as it seemed to be really affecting me. However after day 2 was over I seemed to be fine and my next bedtime cleanse didn't seem as bad. Thinking my stomach had overcome the bedtime cleanses I experienced more intense stomach pains on day 9 (same day as a bedtime cleanse). Day 10 the pains carried on all day and felt like I was being kicked in the stomach! Further to this I kept getting waves of nausea.

I didn't think the taste of the tea was too bad, however if you're not a regular drinker of herbal tea you may find the taste over powering. My advice would be to try green tea and see how you like the taste of that first before you put yourself through two weeks of being uncomfortable drinking the Bootea. The daytime detox has a hint of lemongrass flavor and the bedtime has a subtle hint of peppermint flavor.I don't promote this as a weight-loss teatox, but more to cleanse your body and help remove some of those bad toxins so don't be expecting miracles. These tiny teabags do not have the power to remove excess weight. On this teatox I didn't exercise (except walking to/from work) so the results are just from a cleaner/healthier diet than I would normally eat and the Bootea. Obviously with exercise you will maximize the results.My skin didn't look any different in the first week, in fact it looked a little worse in the first week. I upped my skin routine in the second week and seemed to see a much clearer complexion however I am unsure on what caused that. Regarding my energy levels I saw an increase and seemed to have a lot more energy throughout the day.

Overall I don't think this teatox was for me. I've read many reviews on this product and people either seem to get on really well with it where as others have had a not so great experience. Even though I experienced quite a few side effects from this teatox, others who have tried it haven't had any bad side effects. I think it is just Russian roulette as to how your body will react. I really wanted to enjoy this detox however due to the side effects I didn't enjoy the two weeks I was on it. Please drink this at your own risk, only you know your body.

Eating plan:

Below is my two week eating plan. I tried to keep as close as I could to their own eating plan which can be found here. Personally I don't think their diet helps much with weight loss as there is cheese and carbs which you should probably avoid if you are on a strict diet. However, it did help me keep to a healthier eating pattern.

On this eating plan you cannot eat meat as the toxins within meat is what the Bootea is trying to eradicate.

Monday, 6 October 2014

This Sunday I went to sell my unwanted items at a local indoor carboot. Since finishing University I have accumulated so much stuff I didn't know what to do with, so what else better than to do a carboot sale!
Here I have put some hints and tips together gathered from my experience both from last Sunday and previous carboots - hope this helps if you ever do one!

Hints & Tips:

- If you have enough room bring your own table and hanging rail, saves you paying out to loan one

- Bring sheets or covers to put on the floor or over your table. If you place items on the floor or under your table it saves them getting dirty

- Use a hanging rail if possible, it's more accessible if people want a quick look rather than in piles

- Make sure you go with someone (a family member or friend). Sitting there behind a stall can get pretty boring! Also someone is there to help you if you get more than one customer at a time or if you need to nip to the toilet!

- If your carboot is outside, prepare for the weather! Bring a pair of gloves, coat and sunglasses

- Bring a drink and snacks, saves you forking out a fortune at a food van onsite

- Clean your items, make them look appealing! No one wants to buy a dirty pair of shoes or a dusty vase

- Organize your table from the front so you know what the buyers see!

- Make your table look presentable and re-arrange things when people have messed it up a little looking for a bargain (after they have left though!)

- Make sure you have a 'float' full of change. People will hand you notes and if you don't have the correct change you could miss out on a sale

- Traders will most likely be your first customers. They will probably pick out your best items first

- Have a rough idea of prices but be realistic

- People WILL haggle so make sure if you don't want to sell something for a certain price or lower stick to your guns

- Bring plastic bags with you (more than a few) to put sold items in. People will appreciate it!

- If you really want to sell something, try have it at eye height and not hidden under the table

- Have a look around if you have time at other stalls and see what else other people are selling and for what price

- If you have jewelry double check things aren't valuable such as gold. You will probably get a better price cashing it in at a jewelers or pawn shop

- If someone has bought a big item offer to save it behind your table so they can pick it up when they're leaving, saves them walking around with it

- Make sure all your items work such as electrical items

- Make things look presentable, group items together if you have the time (ie. shoes, teddies, dvds, clothes, books) instead of having them everywhere

- Bring a variety of items so you appeal to more people

- Know your clothes sizes, people will usually ask

- Smile and be chatty! It makes all the difference

Have you ever sold at a carboot? What is your best find? Let me know in the comments below!

Friday, 3 October 2014

After working at camp in America, I thought i'd let off some steam by going on a tour with Trek America with my best friend!

Trek America are a reliable and safe way to travel around ensuring you get the best of your trip! Also because I am a previous Americamper I got 10% of this trip - result! I booked my trek through Trek America however it was the partner company Geckos who lead the trek.

The trip I chose was the Playa Del Carmen to Antigua. With this trek I traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala for 16 days with lodging and one home stay.

Copyright Trek America

Start destination: Playa del CarmenEnd destination: Antigua

I'm sorry about a very half review on this trek, I stopped writing down what was going on a few days in as I was just so busy and couldn't possibly now remember everything that I did (yay for having a bad memory). However, if you're curious as to a specific place or the activities I did please just let me know in the comments and I will try my very best to remember what happened!

Day 1: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

The tour started in Playa del Carmen in the early evening. We met the tour guide and all the other people on the trek in the lobby to go over details. We were given a free evening to explore Playa del Carmen, however because we'd arrived a couple of days earlier before the trek and had already seen what this place had to offer we decided to go on a dinner trip to Walmart and to have an early night so we were fresh for the next destination.

Tulum

Day 2 - 3: Tulum, Mexico

After a short ride by 'local transport' (which was more of an air-conditioned mini-van) we arrived in Tulum at Villa Tulum hotel. We ventured out to the beach shortly after our arrival where we swan in beautiful, clear waters and had lunch. After enough sun we walked down the beach to the Ruins of Tulum.

The next day we visited the Gran Cenote which is a natural pit of crystal clear water. We were able to swim here with the fish and turtles. In the evening we went out for our first group meal!

Caye Caulker

Day 4 - 5: Caye Caulker, Belize
This day consisted of quite a bit of traveling. We got a taxi from our hotel to the bus station where we caught a surprisingly nice coach. After our stop on the coach we had lunch at a local cafe and from there we caught taxis to the border. Here we pilled into a private van. It was about 307 pesos to exit Mexico. After we paid we walked through customs and on the other side got back into our van in Belize. It took us around two hours to get to Belize City where we caught water taxis to the island of Caye Caulker (the ride was about 50 minutes). Once arriving at the island we checked into Tom's Hotel. As we were too tired to do much on the island from all the traveling we checked out the main street and went out for dinner with the trek group.
The main activity on this island was the snorkelling. We managed to get a good price for them to take us out on our own private boat with three stops. First we stopped at Hol Chan, Shark and Ray Alley and finally Coral Gardens. On the way back our guide spotted a lone manatee and we swam with it until it became out of our zone. In the evening we visited 'the place to be' I & I Reggae Bar.

San Ignacio

Day 6 - 7: San Ignacio, Belize

Flores

Day 8 - 9: Flores, Guatemala

Rio Dulce

Day 10 - 11: Rio Dulce, Guatemala

Antigua

Day 12: Antigua, Guatemala

San Jorge La Laguna

Day 13: Chichicastenango & San Jorge La Laguna, Guatemala

Panajachel

Day 14: Panajachel, Guatemala

Antigua

Day 15 - 17: Antigua, Guatemala

Have you been on any treks? Where would you like to travel to if you had the chance? Let me know in the comments below!

Saturday, 20 September 2014

I'm finally back after what seems like forever! Hopefully I will get more posts up in the next few weeks and get back in to things again. Here's the first update of what I have been doing these past months...

I had such a good time at camp last year I thought i'd do it all again this year! I was lucky enough to receive an email from the camp I worked at asking me to return in the summer. The process of returning is much less hassle as the majority of work and forms were done when applying for your first year.

After accepting and receiving your returning contract from camp you need to re-register with your agency (in my case, Americamp).

The process was simple! I re-enrolled as a returnee on the Americamp website (the information you added in your previous application will still be on there), sent my contract with the camp to Americamp and paid my £199 fee (be aware of any hidden fees when paying). After your application has been processed you can start applying again for your CRB check, medical with your doctor and also your visa. In most cases if you have already been to the embassy in person the first time, you can apply for a postal application saving you the hassle of going to the embassy. Next you need to sort your flights, insurance, currency etc. and you're off!

I hate to say this, but my experience with Americamp this year hasn't been as enjoyable as last year. E-mails took far too long for a response and I had many e-mails ignored. Compared to last year my e-mails were answered straight away. I'm unsure if this is because they've seen a rise in the people joining their agency or it is something else... They're still a great company though, I just felt like I should mention it as I want to give an honest review of everything here on my blog!

The camp I worked at was a sleep-away co-ed camp in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

This year I was a counselor for the age group 'freshmen' (age around 8-10). I lived in a large cabin with the children and counselors which was divided into two sections (A and B). Each side of the bunk was split between around 2-3 counselors and 9 children on each side.

I was a pool lifeguard this year and also a swim instructor. Here in the picture you can see the pool I worked at! The swim instruction was mandatory for the lower camp and as well as this they also had time for free swim.

The camp session lasts for 7 full weeks with one parent visiting day.

Camp isn't for everyone as it is hard-work and exhausting with the long days however it is a truly rewarding experience and you will gain great memories and experiences. I made so many new friends and it was great to meet like-minded people. If you have any questions or are interesting in doing this type of work feel free to drop me a message and hopefully my two years of experience doing this will help you out a little!

Saturday, 26 April 2014

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub 130g - I've never really used any Lush products until my housemate bought me a gift-set. Rub rub rub shower scrub is a shower scrub (believe it or not) and can also be used in your hair. I used this the first time as a scrub after I had shaved my legs... and well with this product being salt based it wasn't the best of ideas! Talk about it stinging! Ever since then i've kinda been put off using it as a scrub and use it as a second shampoo. The salt in it is great for washing your hair and also gives added volume. It's great for getting that 'just been at the beach' hair look. I actually quite like the smell of this product. It has a very distinct 'salty' smell and it reminds me of beaches and oceans. The consistency is quite gritty and gloopy - imagine at the beach and you have some wet sand. Overall I would definitely recommend this product.

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly 100g - There are different ways to use this product such as chilling it, freezing it or just using it straight from the pot. I used it straight from the pot but can imagine it would be great chilled! The smell of this is great - it has an amazing fruity, citrus smell. I used this for my body at first as a soap, but then read that the seaweed in it was great for your scalp, so like the shower scrub, it became another shampoo for me. The jelly once rubbed in your hair becomes a lather. I would recommend this product on just the smell alone! Its a great alternative for shower soaps.

These two Lush products I received as part of a gift set which is why they are slightly smaller than the original products. However you can buy the 100g Whoosh Shower Jelly, I just haven't seen a smaller version of the Shower Scrub unless they've sold out!
Both items lasted me quite a while and I would definitely recommend buying a friend or even treating yourself to one of their gift sets as they give you a taster of some of their great products at an affordable price.

Don't forget if you bring back 5 empty, clean full-sized pots or tubes to Lush they will give you a free face-mask!

If you've tried any of the Lush products, what is your favourite? (if you've done a blog post on it please link as i'd love to check it out as i'm always looking for the next product to add to collection!)

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Until recently I was a lip exfoliator virgin. I'd never really had any problems with cracked or dry lips, but recently I noticed my lips getting chapped and flakey even though I moisturise them every day and night. I'd heard tricks about using a toothbrush to exfoliate the lips, but I wanted something a bit more practical. That's when I came across the lip scrub range from LUSH!

LUSH offer these lip scrubs in three different flavours - Mint Julips, Bubblegum and Popcorn at a price of £5.50 for 25g. I've heard lots of reviews and praise over the bubblegum flavour, however the bright pink colour of it did put me off a little, which is why I went for the more subtle coloured 'Mint Julips'.

Mint Julips is a handmade lip scrub made out of natural ingredients, with its main ingredient being castor sugar! I use this before I go to bed and also before I apply any lip balms or colours. The castor sugar gently scrubs away any dead skin and leaves your lips feeling smooth and soft - ideal if you want to get that lipstick perfect! Not only does it leave your lips feelings amazing but it also tastes great too - yes, you can lick it off your lips afterwards!

This product I feel, even though I have used it every day since I bought it will last me a very long time. You don't need tons of the product on your finger - a little goes a long way! Even though I can't compare it to other products as it is my first lip scrub, I feel like LUSH are onto a winner with these cute little pots of yummy lip care.

Friday, 31 January 2014

The first month of January... some might say the most productive of the months due to the famous 'New Years resolutions'. For me, I think this month has flown by and here is a summary of what I have been up to in January!

1. The one month anniversary of this blog since I started posting! I am so grateful for even having any followers. I didn't even think i'd have any this early on my blogging journey! So thank you for following me and I hope you stick around.

2. I started my dissertation! For those of you who don't know what a dissertation is, it is basically a horrendously long research paper (12,000 words) which you normally complete in the last year at University. I had mulled over a couple of ideas on what to research, but I finally decided on a topic. I had my first meeting with my tutor to discuss everything and any concerns I may have. I've chosen to do a library based research paper, which means many many hours of me trawling through books looking for relevant information. The thought of it scares me a little as I only have about 3 months left to complete it.

3. I worked with my first publishing company through Bloggers Required. I got sent two books to review for my blog and also to feature in a giveaway. I have already posted and reviewed about one book (check it out here and don't forget to enter the giveaway), and hopefully I will post the second book review in the next month or so (it would be earlier but Uni. work is getting in the way :().

4. I got the results back from the only two assignments I have currently submitted to my final year and i've passed both with A's! This was such a shock to me as one was a presentation and I get really nervous about talking to large groups of people knowing all eyes are on me. However this has given me the confidence knowing that I can in fact do it. Anxiety will not get the better of me!

5. I booked my flights back from Cancun. You might be thinking 'back from Cancun?', well I after my summer working in America I plan to go to Cancun for a bit of a holiday with my best friend, and the cheapest way I could do it was to book a return even though I am only using the flight back home to England! Free ticket one-way ticket to Cancun anyone?

6. I've become more of an experimental cook... This is quite a revolution for me as I never really wanted to spend more time in the kitchen than was necessary. However, with this new 'healthy lifestyle' I had tried to promise myself, I got myself fresh ingredients and found myself going through pages and pages of recipe websites. I made quite a few 'delicious', if I do say so myself, meals! Even though I know half of them aren't as 'healthy' as i'd first aimed for (oreo cheesecake, peanut butter cookies...) I think it's a step in the right direction and I really do enjoy making my meals now from scratch!

I feel like this month has been quite a productive month for me and I really hope its a sign of what the future months of 2014 have to come.

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

If you don't know what Nando's is, i'm going to assume you've been living under a rock for the past few years. For me, I think Nando's first came to my attention a couple of years ago due to One Direction and their constant tweeting about it. Since then I feel like it has boomed in popularity and I have been hooked.

'Nando's is a South Africancasual dining restaurant group originating from the Mozambican–Portuguese community with a Portuguese/Mozambiquan theme.'

My usual order would consist of a lemon and herb chicken burger with cheese, a side of halloumi cheese, chips with peri-peri salt and a bottomless drink (yum!).What is your standard Nando's order? or do you think it is over-rated? Let me know your thoughts!

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

The world of Youtube can be a scary place, which is why i've never really thought about doing videos until now. The thought of anyone being able to watch your videos and those dreaded internet trolls fills me with fear! However I think it's a great way to interact with followers so i've decided I may give it a go...

Would you like to see videos to compliment my blog? What type of videos would you like to see?

I've made a Youtube channel for if I brave it, so if you want you can subscribe to my new channel here

Friday, 24 January 2014

The classic Barry M mate nail paints come in five different warm, wintery colours. The colours are 'coffee shop' colours and are a perfect compliment to most outfits and are also great for wearing at the office! I think they are subtle and really stylish. I know matte nails aren't to everyones taste, but youcould always add a shiny top coat if you wanted the shade of polish but aren't so keen on a matte finish.

The examples shown have two coats of nail polish on them. Personally I think two coats are needed with this nail polish to give it that 'perfect' finished look. The matte takes full effect one the paint is fully dried.

'Crush' is a warm berry shade and I think it is perfect for the Autumn/Winter months.
'Espresso' is a simple black nail polish. I think everyone should own a good black nail polish!

You can buy the matte nail paints online or at drugstores such as Superdrug and Boots. They currently retail at £3.99 which I think is a bargain for the look and quality of the product.

Thursday, 23 January 2014

One of my new years resolutions was to keep to a skin care routine. Last year I found it hard to stick to a skin care routine... excusesI know but I have been a very busy lady! So, this year I have told myself I will try to stick to a routine as much as possible and hopefully see an improvement in my skin.

For those of you who read my last post, I am a loyal user to the brand Simple and constantly go back to their products. Why you may ask? Well, Simple were the first skincare brand in the UK to use only the purest possible ingredients, including adding vitamins and no perfume or colour. I like how they are suitable for sensitive skin and are also budget friendly!

Daily

Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion 200ml - I use this product with a cotton wool cosmetic pad. It takes any make-up off that I may have missed with a make-up wipe. It is great for drier skin as it keeps it smooth and softened.Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner 200ml - I use this after I have used the cleanser.I also apply this with a cotton wool pad. I like how this product contains chamomile, witch hazel and allantoin which are great for the skin and it is also alcohol free.Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser 125ml - I use this after I have cleansed and toned my skin. It keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day. I always moisturise my skin every single day even if I don't have time to do step 1 & 2!

Nighttime

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream 50ml - I normally use this if my face is in need of moisturisation as the cream works overnight. It glides on really well and is quite thick (because it is a night cream), but it blends very easily. It claims to 'restore and replenish' throughout the night and is great for sensitive skin.

Breakout

These are the products that I use if my skin is having a bad day.Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser 75ml - This product features in my last post (here), so I won't write to much about it, but I have found it to really help control shine. I will use this instead of the moisturiser mentioned above if my skin needs it.Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper 15ml - This is probably my current favourite spot stick at the moment. It claims to reduce spots in just 4 hours, and I think it does that! I normally apply this at night and can usually see a difference when I wake up in the morning. The application is a roll on so it is very easy and clean to use.

You can buy Simple products at any good drug store such as Boots and Superdrug or even at supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco.
Have you ever used, or do you currently use any Simple products? What are your thoughts?